The team are making extraordinary progress cleaning away 10 years of accumulated rust, dirt and grime. Great care is needed when working on industrial heritage large objects, this is about preserving the past and not making it look like new.

By carefully removing the surface rust on the bright work only, we can protect the unprotected metal work and prevent further damage cause by pitting. A coast of oil will then resist further corrosion in what is now quite hostile conditions, caused by the lack of heat or power.

This is a part of a whole team effort whose various skills, labours and knowledge are coming together to in one place to achieve our goal: saving one of the region’s most important pieces of industrial heritage.

We have a remarkable team of individuals ranging from accountants, cleaners, lawyers, gardeners, chartered surveyors, builders, photographers, archivists, community workers, and shops assistants, all of whom are doing great work. Here is opportunity for anyone and everyone to learn new skills, make new friends and become involved in a community project.

The work groups are continuing with their sterling work on the building and the engine.

A database of photos and objects is coming together quite nicely now. The team carefully removing objects found in cupboard and store rooms and carefully cleaning them in preparation for photographing recording and cataloguing.

Work cleaning the engine is showing some remarkable progress as a reward for a lot of hard and dirty work. We are always looking for more volunteers to help with this work. Onsite training and safety induction will be provided.

The grounds of the pumping station are looking better than ever. The grass is cut and the surrounding paving’s are clean and tidy. Many thanks to the kind efforts of the working parties.

The bid team are working hard to put together a grant application for a feasibility study and have now submitted a first draft. Real progress is now being made.

The aim and objective of this study is to develop and produce a sustainable business plan to demonstrate that as a trust we are capable of managing this site in a business-like manner that clearly outlines how we will deliver an ongoing programme of funding, maintenance and renovation of the site. We will also outline how we will make it accessible, preserve the heritage and give benefit to the community in perpetuity

We have just commenced a Heritage Lottery Fund Resilient Heritage Grant application. Resilient Heritage is a grant that will help and support the trust in becoming more sustainable organisation, help us improve our skills in maintaining the heritage and support us with our community engagement.

Forthcoming Events

We at the Lichfield Waterworks Trust just love getting out into the community and doing events that share our story. As always, we need help to organise and run these events, so if you can help on any of the following events, please let us know.

Florette Festival Market

We will have a stand at the Florette Festival Market 8/9 July. John Child will be bringing his replica Newcomen Beam engine. John came last year and his hand built beam engine was quite an eye catcher that aroused a lot of interest. John is an amazing guy who has driven the giant Cornish beam engine at the Museum of water in London. He is a long term supporter of the work we are doing at Sandfields Pumping station

We are looking for help to erect, man and dismantle the Lichfield Waterworks Trust gazebo for the Lichfield Festival Market

The time slots available are:

0900 – 1000 Collect and erect gazebo

1000 – 1130

1130 – 1300

1300 – 1430

1430 – 1600 Mike and Sandra Ryan

1600 – 1630 Dismantle and drop gazebo at Sandfields.

Folding chairs and a table plus transport to and from Sandfields would be much appreciated. Bowler hats provided!

Huddlesford Gathering

Huddlesford Gathering is on the weekend of 23/24 September, we have kindly been invited to have a stand and are therefore looking for volunteers to meet and greet visitors.

Can you help?

If you enjoy meeting people and can spare a couple of houses on either of these days, please get in touch.

Health and Safety

We know people have mixed views about Health and Safety, however we have a very clear view about our members. We think you are incredible and value the work you do; therefore, we want to keep you safe.

We have an amazing health and safety manager, Phil Bowers, who has a very practical no nonsense hands on approach to health and safety.

We like to keep things simple and want our members not to feel daunted by health and safety regulations. We will walk you though the process and give you practical hands on training at a pace set by you.

To date 20 people have received site induction. Those who wish to volunteer on site please let Phil know

Membership

It would really help us if we develop and grow our membership. If you are not already a member and would you like to be a part of one of the region’s most exciting heritage projects then please, join us now by filling in Membership Application Form by going to our membership page here. It is free to join and be a part of this incredibly exciting project.

Donations

We have incurred some considerable expenditure covering legal costs, insurance and training. We will always invest in our people, and we are planning further training days soon too. All these costs soon mount up, so if you can donate, then please visit our donation page here, any amount is helpful and well appreciated.

The work groups are doing some sterling work on the building and the engine.

We have a team who are carefully removing objects found in cupboard and store rooms and carefully cleaning them in preparation for photographing recording and cataloguing.

Our photographic and catalogue team are making steady progress with the hundreds of objects found in and around the pumping station.

Work cleaning the engine is showing some remarkable progress as a reward for a lot of hard and dirty work.

The bid team are working hard to put together a grant application for a feasibility study.

The aim and objective of this study is to develop and produce a sustainable business plan to demonstrate that as a trust we are capable of managing this site in a business-like manner that clearly outlines how we will deliver an on-going programme of funding, maintenance and renovation of the site. We will also outline how we will make it accessible, preserve the heritage and give benefit to the community in perpetuity.

George Dickson of the Markham Grange Steam Museum has very kindly done a draft report on the viability of resorting the beam engine and retuning it to steam. We will be sharing the report with our engineering team for their thoughts and comments.

George done some amazing work at Markham Grange Steam Museum, a place well worth a visit, so please do go up and say hi to George.

We at the Lichfield Waterworks Trust just love getting out into the community and doing events that share our story. As always, we need help to organise and run these events, so if you can help on any of the following events, please let us know.

May Day event

A successful May Day event had been organised on Lichfield Market Square with a Guess the weight of the Spanner competition raising a great deal of interest and over £100.

The competition prize of £10 went to a 13-year-old local boy.

Waitrose Green Tokens Scheme

LWT is one of the featured charities for the Lichfield Waitrose green tokens scheme. Please shop and vote!

Lichfield Bower Procession

LWT are entering the Lichfield Bower Procession, 31 May, with a float. Brain Ellelt is building.

Can you help?

We need three people to help build the float 2 or 3 days before the 31st, and 6 bucket shakers. If you can help, please let us know.

Florette Festival Market

We will have a stand at the Florette Festival Market 8/9 July. John Child will be bringing his replica Newcomen Beam engine. John came last year and his hand built beam engine was quite an eye catcher that aroused a lot of interest. John is an amazing guy who has driven the giant Cornish beam engine at the Museum of water in London. He is a long term supporter of the work we are doing at Sandfields Pumping station

Huddlesford Gathering is on the weekend of 23/24 September, we have kindly been invited to have a stand and are therefore looking for volunteers to meet and greet visitors.

Can you help?

If you enjoy meeting people and can spare a couple of houses on either of these days, please get in touch.

Health and Safety

We know people have mixed views about Health and Safety, however we have a very clear view about our members. We think you are incredible and value the work you do; therefore, we want to keep you safe.

We have an amazing health and safety manager, Phil Bowers, who has a very practical no nonsense hands on approach to health and safety.

We like to keep things simple and want our members not to feel daunted by health and safety regulations. We will walk you though the process and give you practical hands on training at a pace set by you.

To date 20 people have received site induction. Those who wish to volunteer on site please let Phil know.

Membership

May is the time of year when you need to renew your membership. We like to keep things simple at the Lichfield Waterworks trust, so if you are happy to continue your membership, we will roll it over for you till next May.

If you do not wish to continue with this very exciting project, then please just reply to this email with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.

If you are not already a member and would you like to be a part of one of the region’s most exciting heritage projects then please, join us now by filling in Membership Application Form by going to our membership page here. It is free to join and be a part of this incredibly exciting project.

Donations

We have incurred some considerable expenditure covering legal costs, insurance and training. We will always invest in our people, and we are planning further training days soon too. All these costs soon mount up, so if you can donate, then please visit our donation page here, any amount is helpful and well appreciated.

Finally

Thank you everyone for your continued support and helping to make a difference in your community.

We never share your data with anyone else, but we do like to have your details correct. If there are any errors or omissions, please let us know.

Persimmon Homes Ltd handed a set of keys to the trust on the 1 February to commence a six-month licence to enter the building to conduct a feasibility study.

This is a key milestone achievement as the Lichfield Waterworks Trust is now one step closer to achieving its plan to bring the redundant Grade II* building back into reuse as a community facility.

We now have regular working parties at the pumping station each Friday, who are doing some sterling work. The site is like a time capsule, so all of the artefacts are being carefully cleaned, photographed and catalogued.

The bid team are working hard to put together a grant application for a feasibility study.

The aim and objective of this study is to develop and produce a sustainable business plan to demonstrate that as a trust we are capable of managing this site in a business-like manner that clearly outlines how we will deliver an ongoing programme of funding, maintenance and renovation of the site. We will also outline how we will make it accessible, preserve the heritage and give benefit to the community in perpetuity.

These are indeed exciting times, and opportunities to make a difference. It is therefore it is important that we have a robust membership as a record of your support.

So please, join us now by filling in Membership Application Form by going to our membership page here. It is free to join and be a part of this incredibly exciting project.

We have incurred some considerable expenditure covering legal costs, insurance and training. We will always invest in our people, and we are planning further training days soon too. All these costs soon mount up, so if you can donate, then please visit our donation page here, any amount is helpful and well appreciated.

We do not share your data with anyone else, but we do like to have your details correct. If there are any errors or omissions, please let us know.

The Lichfield Waterworks Trust has made significant progress in it endeavours to save Sandfields pumping Station. The volunteers have made the building and the unique Cornish beam engine look better than it has done for years.

We are now in a position to make real change:

Change that will preserve this unique heritage asset, and make it both accessible and beneficial to everyone.

Change that will make a difference to the community, and bring about a significant positive social benefit.

Change that will make us as an even better organisation so we can deliver and manage our objectives effectively and efficiently.

We are about to commission a viability study to help us take the first steps towards community ownership of this heritage asset. The viability study underpins the options appraisal and help us build a firm foundation to take the project forward.

The viability study will cost us £10,000 to complete, some of the money coming from grants, the rest we will have to raise ourselves. As we do not charge for membership, and income is entirely by voluntary contribution, therefore we would like to ask our members and supporter if they could chip in £10 as a one-off donation.

Persimmon Homes Ltd handed a set of keys to the trust on the 1 February to commence a six-month licence to enter the building to conduct a feasibility study.

This is a ket milestone achievement as the Lichfield Waterworks Trust is now one step closer to achieving its plan to bring the redundant Grade II* building back into reuse as a community facility.

Following a short ceremony presided over by the Lord Mayor of Lichfield, Sheelagh James Paul Foster of Persimmon Homes Ltd handed the keys to David Moore, chairman of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust. David Moore said that this is one small step for the Lichfield Waterworks trust, and one giant leap for the people of Lichfield.

The aim and objective of this study is to develop and produce a sustainable business plan to demonstrate that as a trust we are capable of managing this site in a business-like manner that clearly outlines how we will deliver an ongoing programme of funding, maintenance and renovation of the site. We will also outline how we will make it accessible, preserve the heritage and give benefit to the community in perpetuity.

These are indeed exciting times, and opportunities to make a difference. It is therefore it is important that we have a robust membership as a record of your support.

So please, join us now by filling in Membership Application Form by going to our membership page here. It is free to join and be a part of this incredibly exciting project.

We have incurred some considerable expenditure covering legal costs, insurance and training. We will always invest in our people, and we are planning further training days soon too. All these costs soon mount up, so if you can donate, then please visit our donation page here, any amount is helpful and well appreciated.